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Twelve-year-old Deanne Lawyer has a beautiful voice and a problem—her choir director, Mrs. Davis, just reassigned her descant solo to Sucky Susie Emerson! Deanne will have to use all the wiles her life as the little sister of five brothers has given her to reclaim her rights in time to wow the director of the adult choir for the annual Easter Cantata. Better watch out, Susie. Deanne is on a mission!

Angelic Voicesby Deb Logan, available from Climbing Rose of The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt from Angelic Voices:

Susie Emerson sucks. I can't believe I ever admired her. Mrs. Davis gave that descant solo to me. My voice was supposed to lilt over the rest of the choir, float to the rafters above the sanctuary, maybe even soar right up to heaven and please God with its sweetness. Until Mrs. Davis reassigned the descant to Susie.

If Susie's mother wasn't the Director of Music at Valley Christian Church, I'd trap Susie in the alley and tear her hair out. Actually, I'd be doing her a favor. That fine, white-blonde, wispy stuff hardly qualifies as hair. If I pulled it all out by the roots, some decent, dark, thick curls might have a chance to grow.

Yeah, I know. Violence is never the answer, but it sure felt good to think about.

"Deanne Lawyer!" Mrs. Davis' voice cracked over my head like a whip and forced my thoughts away from Susie's destruction.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I asked you to trade places with Susie. I want you to lead the soprano section." She turned to face the other girls as I switched seats with Susie. Mrs. Davis missed the smirk Susie aimed at me, but I didn't.

You are SO toast. I settled into her vacated chair. Your own mother won't recognize you when I'm finished.

I plotted as I sang the melody line to our portion of the Easter cantata. Honestly, the soprano part was so predictable, even the eight-year-olds should be able to sing it without sheet music or my strong voice to lead. In spite of the ease of the part, I still heard Heidi waver off-key, so I turned my head and aimed my clear, perfect-pitch voice in her direction. She pulled into the key and held her own.

What to do about Susie? I wanted my descant back, but couldn't fault her execution of that soaring counterpoint. If only I'd had some warning about her backstabbing. I could've held my own in a fair fight, but when Susie Emerson, my fourteen-year-old idol, pulled in close to me and sang right in my ear…well…it'd take a stronger vocalist than I was at the moment to stand up to Susie's voice and sight read at the same time.

Unfortunately, the same tactics wouldn't work for me. My voice could blow the wax out of your ears, but Susie wasn't sight reading. Like I said, her mom was the Director of Music. Susie had been studying that piece since before Mrs. Davis settled on it. She might've even talked her mom into insisting Mrs. Davis choose it. Score one for 'Sucky' Susie.